Winchelsea Archipelago - August 18, 2026, Rhonda Johnson

Tuesday, August 18th, eight of us met at Blueback Community park in  Nanoose Bay to launch our kayaks for 10:45 am start. We exchanged  information about ourselves, had a beach talk and away we went. 

Windy forecasted the winds to be at 7 kt NW but windy as it seems is never quite spot on, so we paddled NE towards Ruth Island in some fun waves with white caps. The paddlers were all strong in the winds and did great all the way to the Winchelsea Islands.  

Group decision was not to circumnavigate the Winchelsea Islands,  instead we went and noodled around in the center area on the south side.  We saw seals tucked in where whales can’t reach them with some of them poking up their baby heads with mom. The winds were still around 10kt  and it was time to make our way to the Ada Islands and off we went. 

Once we made it to the Ada’s, we decided it was time to eat lunch sooner than later.. We paddled around until we found a decent spot to have lunch. We stretched our legs, fuelled up with our lunch and then back on  the water. The winds were calming as Windy had forecasted but again,  a few hours off. Windy is a great app. however, Nanoose Winds  sometimes have their own minds in timing and fetch amount.  

Once we got to Southey Is. we got out at the lovely beach and snacked and chatted. Time to have fun in the water. Tracy and I got Ron rolling  again as the other’s watched the entertainment. Well done Ron!! 

Now it is time to paddle back in calm waters to our launch spot where the  tide was ebbing but not much of a drop in meters. Getting back onto the  beach was somewhat smooth landing and the paddlers all pitched in to  help each other unload and pack up. Overall a great paddle with a fun  group. Thank you Tracy, Ian, Linda, Wayne, Ron, Vince and John for your  efforts!! 

Happy Paddling, 

Rhonda

Quatsino Sound - August 10-14, 2026, Harvey Pearson

Only three members of the PGOSA Paddle Club attended, but what a great trip it was.  Six good paddles in five days, one at Storie's Beach and the Deer Islands near Port Hardy, three from Spencer's Cove on Quatsino Sound, another from Winter Harbour to the Hunt Islets near Quatsino Light Station, and yet another at Nimpkish Lake on the way home.  Also, a wonderful visit to the beach at Grant Bay Provincial Park.  

On this trip, we saw much wildlife, including orcas, bears, eagles, blue herons, tame deer, giant jellyfish, a harbour porpoise, and many otters, some river but mostly sea otters.  We paddles protected inlets, open sounds, rivers, and inland lakes.  The weather was perfect, no rain, cool, and generally sunny.  The wind conditions ranged from dead calm to light breezes.

As a small group, we were free to make choices as to where we camped and when, and which roads to take.  The added flexibility contributed greatly to maximizing our time away.  And no mishaps, no accidents on what proved to be a fairly long drive.

Great adventures and great friends to remember.

Harvey

Pirates Cove on DeCourcy Is - Aug 11, 2026, Vincent Delogne

On Aug 11 eight of us met at the Cedar boat ramp at 9 am for a kayak outing to Pirate’s Cove. It was a perfect day with lots of sunshine and almost no wind. We crossed to the beach between Mudge and Link island thinking we’d have a short portage to the east side of the islands but the tide was so low that it turned into a long, gruelling one! No-one complained as it is a beautiful area and we gradually made our way down Link and De Courcy, stopping at Eaglet island to talk to someone I knew. A big cargo ship with 3 large towers was anchored in the distance and we found it’s a system that uses wind power to reduce fuel consumption.

We went around to the beach at the south end of De Courcy for our lunch stop and had a long break checking out the Pirates Cove campground and hiking the trail to the treasure chest. For those who don’t know, it was abandoned there a long time ago by the pirates and all the gold is gone but now it’s filled with toys!

We paddled back up the other side along the De Courcy cliffs with amazing rock formations to Hole in the Wall and from there took our time for the final crossing back to the boat ramp. It was 3 pm when we arrived and we were tired. This was a beautiful outing with a great group, we all loved it!

Vincent

Denman & Chrome Island - August 4, 2026, Don Poirier

Another great day on the water and special thanks to Kate who hosted us for a post-paddle party on her deck overlooking Denman Island.  We took it all in and enjoyed talking about all kinds of things from dance, beer, travel and even boat parts…don’t ask.  Ron and his wife Loverne also joined us after the paddle which was very nice.

We had calm seas and crossed Baynes Sound to Denman and proceeded along the western shore of the island spotting seals and a few eagles.  Southward, we circled the Chrome Island Lighthouse (est. 1891) which was our halfway point for the 12 km paddle. Then a dash to a small sandy beach on Denman for lunch.   It was a little paradise, room for a tent with a water source and a vantage point looking across to the Beaufort Range and Chrome Island to the south.  I later learned that the beach used to be known as Betty’s Beach.  She was an oyster farmer going back to the 1980’s and had succeeded John Carlson, a fisherman and character of Denman going back to mid-century.  An apple, plum and several cherry trees survive today on this southward facing beach.  How nice.

So that was the day for nine paddlers. Awesome!

Gabriola Flat Top Islands - July 29, 2026, Harvey Pearson

Such a beautiful day!  All the driving and dealing with the ferries was worth the gorgeous views from the Flat Top Islands near Silva Bay on Gabriola Island.  Eight paddlers enjoy views of clean, clear waters, starfish, jellyfish, seals in abundance, herons, and eagles.  There was a lot of high-priced boating traffic as well.  We enjoyed a relaxed lunch on Saturnina Island with views to both north and south.  The sandstone formations in the area are magnificent!  The ferries were busy, but we all managed to get our sailings and return home tired and sunburned after a spectacular day.

Sandy Island Trip - July 21, 2026 - Don Poirier

Fourteen paddlers out for the trip from Union Bay to Sandy Island located immediately north of Denman Island.  Thankfully, smoky conditions from late Monday had largely dissipated and we set out on the water at 9:30 am.  We enjoyed calm seas and the air temperature was about 26C.  Our circuit to Sandy and nearby Seal Islets totalled 15 km. We made two stops along the shores of Sandy Island including one for a short swim. 

Along the way, we noticed a fried egg jellyfish (Phacellophora camtschatica) and then a naval boat passed along along the Sound.  That boat, PT-59 or the WOLF is a training vessel based out of CFB Esquimalt.  Further out at the Islets, a heron, dozens of seals (some with pups) plus gulls provided an audience as several kayaks zipped through a small gap with surf between the sandy bars.   It was a great day on the water and later capped with a stop in Qualicum Bay for ice cream.

Orca-class naval training boat - the WOLF, PT-59 (product of Victoria Shipyards)

Ucluelet Trip Report - July 15, 2026, Harvey Pearson

Just four intrepid souls set out on a surprisingly windy morning, cold considering the time of year.  Hard work paddling, but we were rewarded by the view of a black bear turning over boulders to chow down on crustaceans.  We also landed on  a couple of secluded beaches and then made our way back on calm waters past a busy fishing fleet off-loading their catches.  8.4 miles in total.